MANGAT: A fascinating tour of the snake park - Daily Nation A fascinating tour of the snake park Saturday July 25 2015 A tortoise and a snake in Nairobi Snake Park in central snake pit on July 25, 2015. PHOTO | RUPI MANGAT In Summary The snake park still houses Kenya’s five most venomous snakes besides the Gabon viper – the puff adder, the black mamba, the four species of cobras. The next batch of glass cages are those of the non-venomous reptiles like the rock pythons, sand boas and a monitor lizard. The sand boas snuggle in the sand. A tiny reddish snake coils under the hollowed burrow – it’s a milk snake from America. It was confiscated at the airport probably while being smuggled in as a pet. It’s physically damaging for the snakes to strike the hard glass. Simple warnings by the cages would stop this and updated information would excite the youth more; for instance, information that the Gabon viper is the world’s heaviest viper and has the longest fangs of up to five centimetres and the highest venom yield of any venomous snake.

Advertisement Even as a child, the Nairobi Snake Park at the Nairobi National Museum was one of the most fascinating places I had been to. Back then, I would stand transfixed by the glass terrariums, staring at the scales and patterns of snakes in motion and discovering a range of reptiles that I would ordinarily never have known about. One of the most fascinating snakes was the Gabon viper, which my friend recently saw in the wild in Kakamega Forest, its last stronghold. For all my trampling around in that same forest, I have never seen a Gabon viper there. The Gabon viper has a skin pattern that looks like dry fallen leaves on a forest floor. It is such an amazing camouflage that people can pass it without realising it – which is a good thing for the reptile because most people have a fear of snakes (ophidiophobia). It had been 20 years since I last went to the snake park, and my recent visit was disappointing. I remember that the place used to be vibrant and had clean glass cages which housed healthy-looking snakes. Snakes in Nairobi Snake Park in central snake pit on July 25, 2015.

PHOTO | RUPI MANGAT THE GLORIOUS PAST While I am reminiscing about the good old days, Raphael Salepal, the snake handler from Baringo, who was trained by Jonathan Leakey, the first curator of the snake park which was opened to the public in 1961, appears with his snake-handling stick, which leads all snakes in the central snake pit to make a beeline towards the stick. Boomslang in Nairobi Snake Park in central snake pit on July 25, 2015. PHOTO | RUPI MANGAT “They think I am bringing food,” he says. This leads me to think that snakes have some intelligence. I move away from the snake pit towards the cage which hosts the Gabon viper. It is a handsome snake slithering slowly in its cage. Being a Thursday when hordes of schoolchildren visit the museum, the few snake guides are outnumbered by the crowd. The youngsters are fascinated by the snakes, but being ill-informed, they ignorantly tap the glass, leading the snakes to strike. It’s physically damaging for the snakes to strike the hard glass.

Simple warnings by the cages would stop this and updated information would excite the youth more; for instance, information that the Gabon viper is the world’s heaviest viper and has the longest fangs of up to five centimetres and the highest venom yield of any venomous snake. The snake park still houses Kenya’s five most venomous snakes besides the Gabon viper – the puff adder, the black mamba, the four species of cobras (black-necked spitting cobra, the red spitting cobra, the forest cobra and the Egyptian cobra), the boomslang and the green mamba. In 2007, the world’s largest spitting cobra was discovered in Kenya and named Naja ashei, after the legendary James Ashe, who was the curator of the snake park at that time. He later started Bio-Ken Snake Farm in Watamu. Blood and tissue samples from the Naja ashei helped to confirm what James Ashe long believed – that the cobra was a different species. To see it you have to visit Bio-ken Snake Farm in Watamu.

It is good to identify snakes correctly, because treating snake bites requires the correct anti-venom which would only be possible if one has the right information. Until recently, bites from Naja ashei were not treated effectively because the specific anti-venom was not available. A tortoise in Nairobi Snake Park in central snake pit on July 25, 2015. PHOTO | RUPI MANGAT The next batch of glass cages are those of the non-venomous reptiles like the rock pythons, sand boas and a monitor lizard. The sand boas snuggle in the sand. A tiny reddish snake coils under the hollowed burrow – it’s a milk snake from America. It was confiscated at the airport probably while being smuggled in as a pet. “Nairobi Snake Park is also a rehab and a rescue centre for unwanted snakes,” says the curator Margaret Njeri. Walking out I notice the old brass memorial to C.J.P Ionides, the great snake man with the top half of his name under a bad paint job. In the 1950s most of the snake casts were made from his specimens.

All in all, it’s been an interesting visit – but the snake park does need a serious overhaul. Would anyone like to help me fundraise for the snake park? SNAKE SIPPETS • Kenya is home to about 127 different snake species. • In countries like Egypt where the cobra was once revered, but where all were killed, there’s an influx of rodents in the fields because there are no snakes to provide natural pest control. The rodents have multiplied rapidly and they have to be killed with chemical pesticides, which get into the soil and affect us through our diet. • When you see a snake, walk away; it will be happy to see you go away. Snakes and their habitats are best left alone. • In case of an unfortunate snake bite, call Bio-Ken on 0718290324.

• Check out these websites for some great reading on snakes: and Gaboon viper - Little Scorpion Little Scorpion Higher Taxa Viperidae, Viperinae, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) Common Names E: Gaboon Adder, Gaboon Viper G: Gabunviper Synonym Bitis gabonica gabonica (DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854) Cerastes nasicornis HALLOWELL 1847 (non SHAW) Echidna gabonica DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 1428 Bitis gabonica — SCHMIDT 1923: 142 Bitis gabonica gabonica MERTENS 1951 Bitis arietans gabonica — BROADLEY 1959 Bitis gabonica gabonica — BROADLEY & HOWELL 1991: 23 Urobelus gabonicus (fide LEBRETON 1999) Bitis (Macrocerastes) gabonica — LENK et

 al.

1999 Bitis gabonica — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 363 Bitis gabonica — RÖDEL & MAHSBERG 2000 Bitis gabonica — DOBIEY & VOGEL 2007 Bitis (Macrocerastes) gabonica — WITTENBERG et al. 2014 Bitis gabonica — WALLACH et al. 2014: 92 Distribution Benin, Nigeria, Chad, S Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, Congo (Brazzaville), Angola, Zambia, E Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Republic of South Africa (Zululand), Malawi, Togo Type locality: Gabon Types Holotype: MNHN 4012. Comment Venomous! Subspecies: Bitis gabonica rhinoceros has been elevated to valid species, Bitis (Macrocerastes) rhinoceros. Following Chippaux, B. gabonica has two dark triangles below eye and B. rhinoceros only one behind eye. Not in Benin fide ULLENBRUCH et al.

2010. not in Sierra Leone fide TRAPE & BALDÉ 2014: 320 Bitis gabonica, most commonly known as the Gaboon viper, is a venomous viper species found in the rainforests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. This is not only the largest member of the genus Bitis, but also the world’s heaviest viperid, and it has the longest fangs, up to 2 inches (5 cm), and the highest venom yield of any venomous snake. Adults average 125–155 cm (4 to 5 feet) in total length (body + tail) with a maximum total length of 205 cm (81 in) for a specimen collected in Sierra Leone. The sexes may be distinguished by the length of the teeth in relation to the total length of the body: approximately 12% for males and 6% for females. Adults, especially females, are very heavy and stout. One female had the following dimensions: Total length Weight (empty stomach) 8.5 kg (19 lbs) In their description of B. gabonica, Spawls et al..

(2004) give an average total length of 80–130 cm (32 to 51.5 in), with a maximum total length of 175 cm (69.3 in), saying the species may possibly grow larger still. They acknowledge reports of specimens over 1.8 m (6 ft), or even over 2 m (6.5 ft) in total length, but claim there is no evidence to support this. A large specimen of exactly 1.8 m (5.9 ft) total length, caught in 1973, was found to have weighed 11.3 kg (25 lb) with an empty stomach. Very large specimens may possibly weigh up to 20 kg (44 lb), which would rank them as the world’s heaviest venomous snake ahead of the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, but these masses are not known to have been verified. The head is large and triangular, while the neck is greatly narrowed: almost one-third the width of the head. A pair of “horns” is present between the raised nostrils — tiny in B. g. gabonica, but much larger in B. g.

rhinoceros. The eyes are large and moveable, set well forward, and surrounded by 15–21 circumorbital scales. There are 12–16 interocular scales across the top of the head. Four or five scale rows separate the suboculars and the supralabials. There are 13–18 supralabials and 16–22 sublabials.[3] The fangs may reach a length of 55 millimetres (2.2 in) : the longest of any venomous snake. Midbody, there are 28–46 dorsal scale rows, all of which are strongly keeled except for the outer rows on each side. The lateral scales are slightly oblique. The ventral scales number 124–140: rarely more than 132 in males, rarely less than 132 in females. There are 17–33 paired subcaudal scales: males have no fewer than 25, females no more than 23. The anal scale is single.

The color pattern consists of a series of pale, subrectangular blotches running down the center of the back, interspaced with dark, yellow-edged hourglass markings. The flanks have a series of fawn or brown rhomboidal shapes, with light vertical central bars. The belly is pale with irregular brown or black blotches. The head is white or cream with a fine, dark central line, black spots on the rear corners, and a dark blue-black triangle behind and below each eye. The iris colour is cream, yellow-white, orange or silvery. This species can be found in Guinea, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, DR Congo, northern Angola, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, eastern Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, eastern Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and northeast KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. Mallow et al. (2003) also list Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa.

The type locality is given as “Gabon” (Africa) The Gaboon viper is usually found in rainforests and nearby woodlands, mainly at low altitudes, but sometimes as high as 1500 m. Spawls et al. (2004) mention a maximum altitude of 2100 m. According to Broadley and Cock (1975), it is generally found in environments that are parallel to those occupied by its close relative, B. arietans, which is normally found in more open country. In Tanzania, this species is found in secondary thickets, cashew plantations, and in agricultural land under bushes and in thickets. In Uganda, they are found in forests and nearby grasslands. They also do well in reclaimed forest areas: cacao plantations in West Africa and coffee plantations in East Africa. They have been found in evergreen forests in Zambia. In Zimbabwe, they only occur in areas of high rainfall along the forested escarpment in the east of the country. In general, they may also be found in swamps, as well as in still and moving waters. They are commonly found in agricultural areas near forests and on roads at night.

Primarily nocturnal, Gaboon vipers have a reputation for being slow-moving and placid. They usually hunt by ambush, often spending long periods motionless, waiting for suitable prey to happen by. On the other hand, they have been known to hunt actively, mostly during the first six hours of the night. In Kumasi, Ghana, they were regularly killed around some stables in an open area with the forest some 500 meters away — a sign that they were hunting rats in the grassland. They are usually very tolerant snakes, even when handled, and rarely bite or hiss, unlike most vipers. However, bites by bad-tempered individuals do occur. An ambush predator, its color pattern gives it excellent camouflage as evident here. This is a B. g. rhinoceros (West African Gaboon Viper). Locomotion is mostly rectilinear, in a sluggish “walking” motion of the ventral scales. They may writhe from side to side when alarmed, but only for short distances. Ditmars (1933) even described them as being capable of sidewinding.

If threatened, they may hiss loudly as a warning, doing so in a deep and steady rhythm, slightly flattening the head at the expiration of each breath.[3][5][12] Despite this, they are unlikely to strike unless severely provoked; however, they are one of fastest striking snakes in the world, so care should be taken in handling them. There have been numerous descriptions of their generally unaggressive nature. Sweeney (1961) wrote they are so docile that they “can be handled as freely as any non-venomous species”, although this is absolutely not recommended. In Lane (1963), Ionides explained he would capture specimens by first touching them lightly on the top of the head with a pair of tongs to test their reactions. Anger was rarely displayed, so the tongs were usually set aside and the snakes firmly grasped by the neck with one hand and the body supported with the other as he picked them up and carried them to a box for containment. He said the snakes hardly ever struggled. Parry (1975) described how this species has a wider range of eye movement than other snakes.

Along a horizontal plane, eye movement can be maintained even if the head is rotated up or down to an angle of up to 45°. If the head is rotated 360°, one eye will tilt up and the other down, depending on the direction of rotation. Also, if one eye looks forward, the other looks back, as if both are connected to a fixed position on an axis between them. In general, the eyes often flick back and forth in a rapid and jerky manner. When asleep, there is no eye movement and the pupils are strongly contracted. The pupils dilate suddenly and eye movement resumes when the animal wakes up. Because of their large, heavy body size, the adults have no trouble eating prey as large as fully grown rabbits. When prey happens by, they strike with very fast precision from any angle. Once they strike their prey, they hang on to it with their large fangs rather than letting it go and waiting for it to die. This behaviour is very different from the behaviour of other species of vipers. These snakes feed on a variety of birds and mammals, such as doves, many different species of rodents, including field mice and rats, as well as hares and rabbits.

There are also reports of more unlikely prey items, such as tree monkeys, the brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus) and even the small royal antelope (Neotragus) During peak sexual activity, males engage in combat. This starts with one male rubbing its chin along the back of the other. The second male will then raise its head as high as possible. As they both do the same, the necks intertwine. When the heads are level, they turn towards each other and push. Their bodies intertwine as they switch positions. They become oblivious to everything else, continuing even after they fall off a surface or into water. Sometimes they intertwine and squeeze so tightly that their scales stand out from the pressure. They have also been observed to strike at each other with mouths closed. Occasionally, the combatants will tire and break off the fight by “mutual consent”, resting for a while before resuming once more. The event is settled when one of the two succeeds in pushing the other’s head to the ground and raising its own by 20–30 cm. In captivity, combat may occur four or five times a week until courtship and copulation ends.

Gestation takes about 7 months, which suggests a breeding cycle of two to three years. A five-year breeding cycle may also be possible. Usually, they give birth in late summer. B. g. gabonica produces 8–43 live young. B. g. rhinoceros may produce as many as 60. However, the actual number of offspring rarely exceeds 24. Neonates are 25–32 cm in length and weigh 25–45 g Bites from this species are rare, due to their extremely unaggressive nature and because their range is limited to rainforest areas. Due to their sluggishness and unwillingness to move even when approached, bites most often occur due to persons accidentally stepping on a Gaboon viper, but even then in some cases this does not guarantee a bite. However, when a bite does occur, it should always be considered a serious medical emergency. Even an average bite from an average-sized specimen is potentially fatal.[2] Antivenom should be administered as soon as possible to save the victim’s life if not the affected limb. The snake’s cytotoxic venom itself is not considered particularly toxic based on tests conducted in mice.

In mice, the LD50 is 0.8–5.0 mg/kg IV, 2.0 mg/kg IP and 5.0–6.0 mg/kg SC. However, the venom glands are enormous and each bite produces the largest quantities of venom of any venomous snake; this is partially due to the fact that, unlike many African vipers such as the Puff Adder, the Gaboon viper does not release after a bite, which enables it to inject larger amounts of venom. Yield is probably related to body weight, as opposed to milking interval. Brown (1973) gives a venom yield range of 200–1000 mg (of dried venom), A range of 200–600 mg for specimens 125–155 cm in length has also been reported. Spawls and Branch (1995) state from 5 to 7 ml (450–600 mg) of venom may be injected in a single bite.

A study by Marsh and Whaler (1984) reported a maximum yield of 9.7 ml of wet venom, which translated to 2400 mg of dried venom. They attached “alligator” clip electrodes to the angle of the open jaw of anesthetized specimens (length 133–136 cm, girth 23–25 cm, weight 1.3–3.4 kg), yielding 1.3–7.6 ml (mean 4.4 ml) of venom. Two to three electrical bursts within a space of five seconds apart were enough to empty the venom glands. The Gaboon vipers used for the study were milked between seven and 11 times over a 12-month period, during which they remained in good health and the potency of their venom remained the same. Based on how sensitive monkeys were to the venom, Whaler (1971) estimated 14 mg of venom would be enough to kill a human being: equivalent to 0.06 ml of venom, or 1/50 to 1/1000 of what can be obtained in a single milking.

Marsh and Whaler (1984) wrote that 35 mg (1/30 of the average venom yield) would be enough to kill a man of 70 kilograms (150 lb). Branch (1992) suggested that 90–100 mg would be fatal in humans. Due to the rarity of these type of snakebites, further investigation is needed. In humans, a bite causes rapid and conspicuous swelling, intense pain, severe shock and local blistering. Other symptoms may include uncoordinated movements, defecation, urination, swelling of the tongue and eyelids, convulsions and unconsciousness.[3] Blistering, bruising and necrosis may be extensive. There may be sudden hypotension, heart damage and dyspnoea. The blood may become incoagulable with internal bleeding that may lead to haematuria and haematemesis. Local tissue damage may require surgical excision and possibly amputation. Healing may be slow and fatalities during the recovery period are not uncommon. Gaboon vipers are large snakes, the largest of the vipers, with an average adult length of about 1.2 meters.

However, some have been recorded as large as 2.2 m long or greater. They can weigh up 10 kg with a head about 12.7 cm wide and fangs about 5 cm long. Gaboon vipers have triangular heads with prominent rostral horns. There is also a very dark line down the center of the head and two dark spots above each side of the jaw. The scales are ridged and keeled on the majority of the body, however there are a few rows of scales on the lowest part of both sides that are smooth. There are 28 to 40 rows of scales in the middle part of the body, an average of 125 to 140 rows on the ventral side. Males and females differ in the number of scales they have (females having less than 135 rows and males having less than 132 rows). Color patterns of gaboon vipers are truly stunning, forming a symmetrical design that makes a unique pattern on the scales. The base color is typically a brown or purple color. On top of that are yellow, quadrangular shapes, that are aligned neatly over the center of the back.

These shapes have hourglass brown spaces, and along the sides of the body are triangular patterns, which are the brown or purple coloring and in between the series of triangles are yellow and purple stains. The ventral side is a light yellow color with dark spots sprinkled throughout. This camouflage pattern is adaptive in helping gaboon vipers blend into their surroundings. Their eyes are grayish with a hint of silver. Range mass: 7 to 10 kg. Range length: 2.2 (high) m. Average length: 1.2 m. Sexual Dimorphism: female larger Habitat and Ecology This nocturnal snake is found in moist Guinean savanna, humid forest and anthropogenic habitats, including both subsistence and agro-industrial plantations, and is not uncommon in towns (Chippaux 2006). It is viviparous, giving birth to 13-15 young (Chippaux 2006). It also occurs at forest edges (W.R. Branch pers. comm. 2012). Gaboon vipers await their prey from a hiding spot and quickly attack with 5 cm fangs, injecting toxic venom into the tissues of the prey.

They eat primarily small mammals, such as rodents, ground-living or feeding birds (such as francolins or doves), and frogs and toads. Specimens of gaboon vipers have been found to have ingested giant rats (Cricetomys gambianus), brush-tailed porcupines (Atherurus africanus), and fully grown royal antelopes (Neotragus pygmaeus). Animal Foods: birds; mammals; amphibians; reptiles Primary Diet: carnivore (Eats terrestrial vertebrates) As a predator of small mammals, gaboon vipers help to control rodent populations. Gaboon vipers, like other vipers, detect vibrations, chemical signals, and visual cues. Using all to detect and attack prey. There is nothing known about how gaboon vipers communicate, but they may use chemical cues to to locate receptive mates. Communication Channels: chemical Perception Channels: visual ; vibrations ; chemical Gaboon vipers are viviparous, with a 7 month gestation period. They give birth to about 30 or more offspring at once.

Maximum longevity: 18 years (captivity) Observations of gaboon vipers kept in captivity have lead to some information about their mating systems. Gaboon vipers generally mate in the rainy season, so spraying water on the vipers in captivity helps to mimic the rainy season. The female will then get restless and lift her tail, showing the male that she is ready to mate. They may sway back and forth as well. Gaboon vipers mate during the rainy season in Africa, which is between September and December. The gaboon viper is viviparous, with a 7 month gestation period, and gives birth to about 30 or 40 offspring at once. Breeding season: September – December Range number of offspring: 20 to 50. Average gestation period: 7 months. Key Reproductive Features: viviparous When the offspring are born, they are already as big as 30 cm long and already have adult-looking patterns on their scales. There is no real parental care once the offspring are born.

Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female) Red List Category Least Concern Justification Listed as Least Concern as this species is widespread, can be locally common, and is adaptable and not subject to major threats. Population This snake can be locally abundant, with as many as 282 individuals recorded within a few square kilometres in Côte d’Ivoire (Doucet 1963, Penner et al. 2008). A population density of 0.053 animals per hectare, low for a large viper, was calculated during a recent study of Taï National Park, however, the authors caution that recapture rates were too low to derive a robust estimate (Penner et al. 2008). The species’ population status is otherwise unstudied and reliable estimates are difficult to derive due to the snakes’ cryptic habits (Penner et al. 2008). Major Threats It is subject to forest degradation due to deforestation and use by locals; as this snake has broad habitat tolerances these activities are not considered to be affecting the global population significantly.

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Bitis gabonica gabonica (Duméril, Bibron, & Duméril, 1854) Diet. African Herp News (51): 13-15 Wittenberg, Rod D. & Robert C. Jadin & Allyson M. Fenwick & Ronald L. Gutberlet Jr. 2014. Recovering the evolutionary history of Africa’s most diverse viper genus: morphological and molecular phylogeny of Bitis (Reptilia: Squamata: Viperidae). Org Divers Evol, DOI 10.1007/s13127-014-0185-3 Wood, Mike 1996. Gaboons! The West African gaboon viper. Reptile & Amphibians Magazine 1996 (July/Aug.): 12-19 Gaboon Viper Email Gaboon Viper The West African gaboon viper or (Bitis Gabonica) is the largest out of all the old world vipers. There have been individuals found up to 7 feet but an average of 6 feet is more common.

They are also one of the most beautiful of all snakes. In the wild their strikingly marked bodies are near impossible to see among the ground and leaf litter. These guys are ambush predators that sit and wait for a meal to come walking through the game trail. They have the largest fangs of any venomous snake in the world. The fangs can grow up to two inches in length. Their natural habitat consists of dense forested areas and humid grassy areas. LOCALITY The West African gaboon viper inhabits Guinea, The Ivory Coast, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin, Angola, The Congo, and Gabon. CAPTIVE HUSBANDRY Keeping bitis species can be a very rewarding species to keep as long as every single requirement is met in order to keep them healthy and thriving. Correct temperature and humidity levels MUST be maintained and monitored every day. TEMPERATURES They live in tropical forests and do not do well in hot climates. They like it on the cool side. In some part of their range they almost never see direct sunlight in the wild. DAY TIME TEMPS On the cool end of the cage temps should be between 70 and 75 degrees.

On the warm end of the cage the temps should be between 75 to 85 degrees, maximum. Temps at night can drop 5 to 8 degrees. I use light bulbs to heat the cage during the day and nothing at all for the night time. You can offer your animal a basking spot but they will hardly if ever use it. HUMIDITY The humidity levels for this species should be between 60% to 80%. You can allow it to drop a little if you will be cycling them for breeding…… This can only go on for a short period of time. Bitis’ can dehydrate very quickly. Too much humidity without proper ventilation can cause scale rot and upper respiratory infections. Too little and you will wind up with very jerky snake. HYDRATION As mentioned above, the Bitis Gabonica can dehydrate very quickly. There are a few tricks I have learned over the years to keep them hydrated. Always keep a clean supply of drinking water in the cage. Gaboons do not readily drink from standing water supplies but they will drink from one if they happen to stumble upon it in their travels. Ads by Google Misting the cage and it residents, at least twice a week is a must.

They also require a full soak once a week for an hour or more. Another sure way to get moisture into their systems is to inject pre killed or frozen thawed prey items with spring water and or electrolytes. Also hooking them over to the water dish every couple of days will not hurt. FEEDING Feeding a healthy gaboon viper should be no problem at all. If you buy a gaboon viper and it does not eat within a week or two there could be some health problems. Young gaboons can be fed more often than adults. Young can be fed two to three times a week depending on the size of the prey offered. Adults can be fed one to two times a week also depending on the size of the prey offered……. Some people say that gaboons will become impacted if they are fed too often but the fact is if they are properly hydrated they will have no problems passing waste. Infact Gaboon vipers and other member of the bitis family have been known to retain enough fecal matter to make up 20% of their body weight. The reasons for this are not proven but some speculate it is for extra weight so they can stike harder and faster and more accurately.

The extra weight is used almost as ballast. A lot of extra weight without all of the biological cost of muscle and bone. I also suggest not feeding your snake in its enclosure, especially if you are keeping it on a natural substrate. Also if you have 2 or more house together they should be separated during feeding time. CAGING As with any venomous species, gaboons should never be housed in an all glass aquarium with a screen top. Aside from the fact that they do not hold heat and humidity well there is the danger of being bitten through the screen top. Vision cages are great for medium to large bitis. Young bitis should not be kept in visions because they can hide very easily under the sliding glass tracks. Another good caging system would be Precision. These two styles of caging are the best for hots as they are solid and the sliding glass doors or hinged doors can be locked very easily. SUBSTRATE There are many different types of substrates that can be used to keep gaboons on but the one that I have had the least amounts of problems with is cypress mulch. It retains humidity well and gaboons love to bury themselves in it.

I always suggest baking or microwaving any substrate before putting it in a cage to rid it of any bugs that may be hanging out in it. NEVER use pine or cedar shavings as a substrate because it is toxic and can prove to be fatal.

Question: What type of viper named for an African country has the highest venom yield of any snake?
Answer: Gaboon viper